Yesterday, Trinity Wall Street “Church,” the NYPD and the State of New York sentenced me to forty five days in jail for my political beliefs and actions. … On [December 17], my intention was to facilitate the on-going efforts to convince Trinity Church that our use of the space was consistent with their principles and mission. I wanted the unused and deserted lot to the community within Occupy Wall Street and beyond, so that through collective grassroots effort we would build an alternative society built on mutual aid, solidarity and anti-oppression.

For those intentions, I am now serving a forty-five day sentence on Riker’s Island. In response I have taken my protest out of the streets and into the jails. As of 2pm June 18, 2012 … I have been on a hunger strike. I will continue the hunger strike until I am released, to draw attention to the political nature of my arrest, sentencing and the greater themes and goals of the occupy wall street movement. This punishment has further strengthened my resolve to build a society, alongside my comrades, that does not further the corporate agenda of the prison industrial complex, compassion for all, community, solidarity, and mutual aid for all. Everything for everybody.

In addition to the previous State charges of material support for terrorism, possession of an incendiary device, and conspiracy to commit terrorism, prosecutors also charged the three defendants — Brent Betterly, Jared Chase, and Brian Jacob Church — with additional counts of possession of an incendiary device, attempted arson, solicitation to commit arson, conspiracy to commit arson and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, totalling 11 charges each. All three defendants remain in jail on $1.5 million bond.

This case is noteworthy not just because of its political nature or the use of informants, but that it is the first time charges have been brought under Illinois’ terrorism statute. Unlike the Occupy Cleveland case, apparently the FBI was not involved. (Update: Kevin Gosztola of Dissenterclarifies below: “I don’t know if there’s conclusive evidence yet that the FBI isn’t involved. I just know from the coverage I’ve been doing of the NATO 5 that the feds abandoned these cases and left it up to the state of Illinois to prosecute these men.”)

Kit OConnell

Kit O’Connell is a gonzo journalist and radical troublemaker from Austin, Texas. He is the Associate Editor and Community Manager of Shadowproof. Kit's investigative journalism has appeared in Truthout, MintPress News and Occupy.com.